When Anthony Solari ’25 arrived at Lindenwood, YouPlaySports was only an idea. While earning his bachelor’s degree in game design, he began developing the foundation for the app. Now, YouPlaySports is available for download on the app store.
The app seeks to solve a problem that many recent graduates face. “The idea for YouPlaySports actually started during my freshman year at Lindenwood. I always felt like there could be an easier way to connect with people nearby to play sports at any time,” Solari said. “Growing up, it’s easy to stay active through school teams, but as you get into high school, college, and especially after graduating, it becomes a lot harder to consistently find people to play with or even know what’s available.”
Solari developed the app over a year and a half, applying skills from Lindenwood courses while learning additional skills on his own. Solari described this process: “Through my time at Lindenwood, especially in web design and entrepreneurship courses, I started to build the foundation to make the idea real,” Solari said. “I developed skills in front-end design, user experience, and structuring a website/app, along with a better understanding of how to turn an idea into something usable.”
In addition, Solari began marketing efforts, doing in-person outreach at parks, gyms, and college campuses across the St. Louis area. “I learned how to think through business models, target audiences, and the financial side of launching a product. That included planning how the app would grow, how it could be sustained, and how it fits into the current market.”
Solari credits his experience at Lindenwood for playing a major role in developing YouPlaySports as an app and a broader business. By applying his coursework to the development process, Solari was able to take an idea that he had as a freshman and turn it into a functional service for the community.
YouPlaySports is available to download on the App Store, and pickup games are already available to play across the St. Louis region.